AIM

4/3/14

5−1−3

Preflight

Data Center (FDC) NOTAMs, Pointer NOTAMs,

Special Activity Airspace (SAA) NOTAMs, and

Military NOTAMs.

1. NOTAM (D)

 information  is disseminated for

all navigational facilities that are part of the National

Airspace System (NAS), all public use airports,

seaplane bases, and heliports listed in the Airport/

Facility Directory (A/FD). The complete file of all

NOTAM (D) information is maintained in a computer

database at the Weather Message Switching Center

(WMSC), located in Atlanta, Georgia. This category

of information is distributed automatically via

Service A telecommunications system. Air traffic

facilities, primarily FSSs, with Service A capability

have access to the entire WMSC database of

NOTAMs. These NOTAMs remain available via

Service A for the duration of their validity or until

published. Once published, the NOTAM data is

deleted from the system. NOTAM (D) information

includes such data as taxiway closures, personnel

and equipment near or crossing runways, and airport

lighting aids that do not affect instrument approach

criteria, such as VASI.

All NOTAM Ds must have one of the keywords listed

in TBL 5−1−1 as the first part of the text after the

location identifier.

2. FDC NOTAMs.

On those occasions when

it becomes necessary to disseminate information

which is regulatory in nature, the National Flight Data

Center (NFDC), in Washington, DC, will issue an

FDC NOTAM. FDC NOTAMs contain such things as

amendments to published IAPs and other current

aeronautical charts. They are also used to advertise

temporary flight restrictions caused by such things as

natural disasters or large-scale public events that may

generate a congestion of air traffic over a site.

NOTE

−

1. DUATS vendors will provide FDC NOTAMs only upon
site-specific requests using a location identifier.

2. NOTAM data may not always be current due to the
changeable nature of national airspace system compo-
nents, delays inherent in processing information, and
occasional temporary outages of the U.S. NOTAM system.
While en route, pilots should contact FSSs and obtain
updated information for their route of flight and
destination.

3. Pointer NOTAMs.

NOTAMs issued by a

flight service station to highlight or point out another

NOTAM, such as an FDC or NOTAM (D) NOTAM.

This type of NOTAM will assist users in

cross−referencing important information that may

not be found under an airport or NAVAID identifier.

Keywords in pointer NOTAMs must match the

keywords in the NOTAM that is being pointed out.

The keyword in pointer NOTAMs related to

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) must be

AIRSPACE.

4. SAA NOTAMs.

 These NOTAMs are issued

when Special Activity Airspace will be active outside

the published schedule times and when required by

the published schedule. Pilots and other users are still

responsible to check published schedule times for

Special Activity Airspace as well as any NOTAMs

for that airspace.

5. Military NOTAMs.

NOTAMs pertaining

to U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine, and Navy

navigational aids/airports that are part of the NAS.

c. Notices to Airmen Publication (NTAP).

The

NTAP is published by Mission Support Services,

ATC Products and Publications, every 28 days.  Data

of a permanent nature can be published in the NTAP

as an interim step between publication cycles of the

A/FD and aeronautical charts. The NTAP is divided

into four parts:

1.

Notices in part 1 are provided by ATC

Products and Publications. This part contains

selected FDC NOTAMs that are expected to be in

effect on the effective date of the publication. This

part is divided into three sections:

(a)

Section 1, Airway NOTAMs, reflects

airway changes that fall within an ARTCC’s

airspace. 

(b)

Section 2, Procedural NOTAMs. 

(c)

Section 3, General NOTAMs, contains

NOTAMs that are general in nature and not tied to a

specific airport/facility (for example, flight advisor-

ies and restrictions, open duration special security

instructions, and special flight rules area).

2.

Part 2, provided by NFDC, contains Part 95

Revisions, Revisions to Minimum En Route IFR

Altitudes and Changeover Points.

3.

Part 3, International NOTAMs, is divided into

two sections: